Illinois State Senate District 12

Tue, Nov 3 · Represented by Celina Villanueva Democratic · Member list as of Oct 28

Celina VillanuevaDemocratic · Incumbent4 years since first win

One candidate on the printed ballot.

Last election: Celina Villanueva (Democratic) was unopposed, 2022
On the 2026 ballot: 1 candidate

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More about this race

Candidates on the ballot

Uncontested

One candidate on the printed ballot.

Celina VillanuevaIncumbentDemocratic

Party nominees only, not the certified ballot.

Source: elections.il.gov, dated Oct 28

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Official results for Illinois

History (18 elections for this seat)

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 2022, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticCelina VillanuevaWon(incumbent)	Democratic	23,303100.0%	100.0%

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 2018, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticSteven LandekWon(incumbent)	Democratic	38,061100.0%	100.0%

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 2014, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticSteven LandekWon(incumbent)	Democratic	24,886100.0%	100.0%

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 2012, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticSteven LandekWon	Democratic	37,949100.0%	100.0%

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 2008, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticMartin A. SandovalWon(incumbent)	Democratic	33,807100.0%	100.0%

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 2006, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticMartin A. SandovalWon(incumbent)	Democratic	22,922100.0%	100.0%

Votes for listed candidates: 29,376
Election day: November 5, 2002
District map: Older district map (2002 to 2011)

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 2002, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticMartin A. SandovalWon	Democratic	18,67263.6%	63.6%
RepublicanRoberto Garcia	Republican	10,70436.4%	36.4%

Votes for listed candidates: 47,367
Election day: November 7, 2000
District map: Older district map (1992 to 2001)

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 2000, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticRobert S. MolaroWon(incumbent)	Democratic	44,31693.6%	93.6%
RepublicanMichael A. Deross	Republican	3,0516.4%	6.4%

Votes for listed candidates: 46,588
Election day: November 5, 1996
District map: Older district map (1992 to 2001)

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 1996, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticRobert S. MolaroWon(incumbent)	Democratic	40,23786.4%	86.4%
OtherGlenn B. Wharton	Other	6,35113.6%	13.6%

Votes for listed candidates: 64,158
Election day: November 3, 1992
District map: Older district map (1992 to 2001)

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 1992, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticRobert S. MolaroWon	Democratic	41,64764.9%	64.9%
OtherCynthia Taylor	Other	18,31228.5%	28.5%
RepublicanM. Rae McCabe	Republican	4,1996.5%	6.5%

Votes for listed candidates: 46,998
Election day: November 8, 1988
District map: Older district map (1982 to 1991)

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 1988, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticMargaret SmithWon(incumbent)	Democratic	45,04995.8%	95.8%
RepublicanVeda H. King	Republican	1,9494.2%	4.2%

Votes for listed candidates: 36,418
Election day: November 4, 1986
District map: Older district map (1982 to 1991)

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 1986, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticMargaret SmithWon(incumbent)	Democratic	34,78195.5%	95.5%
RepublicanJackie Brown	Republican	1,6374.5%	4.5%

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 1982, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticMargaret SmithWon	Democratic	57,419100.0%	100.0%

Votes for listed candidates: 49,611
Election day: November 4, 1980
District map: Older district map (1972 to 1981)

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 1980, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticWilliam A. MarovitzWon	Democratic	36,22073.0%	73.0%
RepublicanFrank Bennett Rowder	Republican	13,39127.0%	27.0%

Votes for listed candidates: 57,676
Election day: November 2, 1976
District map: Older district map (1972 to 1981)

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 1976, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticJohn MerloWon	Democratic	38,24466.3%	66.3%
RepublicanCatherine Rondinelli	Republican	19,43233.7%	33.7%

Votes for listed candidates: 64,656
Election day: November 7, 1972
District map: Older district map (1972 to 1981)

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 1972, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticBen E. PalmerWon(incumbent)	Democratic	34,18952.9%	52.9%
RepublicanJohn E. McNeal	Republican	30,44947.1%	47.1%
Scattered write-ins	Write-in	180.0%	0.0%

Votes for listed candidates: 46,443
Election day: November 3, 1970
District map: Older district map (1966 to 1971)

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 1970, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticDaniel P. Obrien Jr.Won	Democratic	24,45052.6%	52.6%
RepublicanRobert Lane Friedlander	Republican	21,99347.4%	47.4%

Votes for listed candidates: 57,732
Election day: November 5, 1968
Type: Special election
District map: Older district map (1966 to 1971)

Illinois Senate District 12, 1968 to 2022, 1968, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticWilliam J. SchoeningerWon	Democratic	30,52352.9%	52.9%
RepublicanRobert L. Friedlander	Republican	27,20747.1%	47.1%
Scattered write-ins	Write-in	20.0%	0.0%

1968 to 2022: State Legislative Election Returns, 1967-2022 (Carl Klarner, Harvard Dataverse), retrieved Oct 28, 2026. Compiled by Carl Klarner (Harvard Dataverse) from official returns; not an official source

Last contest in this district on file: 2022.

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Election Wrld. (2026). Illinois State Senate District 12, election results 1968 to 2022. https://www.electionwrld.com/il/senate/12. Retrieved October 30, 2026.

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Sources

Sources: Census TIGERweb Legislative MapServer (120th CDs layer 0, 119th CDs layer 4, 2026 SLD upper layer 1 and lower layer 2) (US Census Bureau, public domain), retrieved Oct 28, 2026; Open Civic Data division identifiers (census_autogenerated us_sldl/us_sldu and openstates state files); also (sld-recent.json): Open Civic Data division identifiers (country-us) (CC0 (repository); also (sld-recent.json): CC0 1.0), retrieved Oct 28, 2026; Open States people (current) CSVs (CC0-1.0 (Open States people data)), retrieved Oct 28, 2026, compiled by Open States volunteers and staff (rosters from state legislature sites) from official returns, not an official source; State Legislative Election Returns, 1967-2022 (Carl Klarner, Harvard Dataverse) (CC0 1.0), retrieved Oct 28, 2026, compiled by Carl Klarner (Harvard Dataverse) from official returns, not an official source.

District id: ocd-division/country:us/state:il/sldu:12

DataState data (JSON)Sources: State Legislative Election Returns, 1967-2022 (Carl Klarner, Harvard Dataverse), DIME (ODC-BY)Data as of Oct 28, 2026